#5: Cyborg: Victor Stone

After a horrific accident killed his mother and left him barely alive, young Vic Stone was granted cybernetic enhancements based on alien technology given to him by his scientist father. They saved his life, but they also gave him abilities far beyond that of a normal man. This incident made him into the hero Cyborg!

Gifted with superhuman strength, speed, and an arsenal of weapons, including his trademark white noise cannon, he fights evil both domestic and extraterrestrial. In the old DC Universe, he joined up with the Teen Titans and, later, the Justice League. In the New 52 iteration, he joined up with the Justice League immediately after becoming Cyborg.

Another major difference with the New 52 version of Vic Stone is that his technology is based upon a Mother Box from Darkseid’s homeworld of Apokolips. Since his rebirth as Cyborg, his cybernetic body has gone through a series of upgrades, many of which of its own doing. He now has the ability to shapeshift, appear human, and create new devices such as jetpacks and breathing apparatuses from his own body.

Victor Stone is painfully aware of how much he has lost due to his becoming Cyborg. He feels very separated from the rest of humanity. This hasn’t been alleviated by his tenure with the Justice League, as much of the team has been a good bit older than him. The only members that he has connected with are the Flash and Shazam.

His humility and struggle to regain some form of humanity are what make Cyborg such a compelling character. He’s very sympathetic, and he is one of the most grounded members of the League. His solo series written by David Walker and Marv Wolfman have expanded on his character quite a bit as well as given him a very enjoyable if dorky sense of humor. It’s also fleshed out the difficult relationship he has with his emotionally distant father, Silas Stone.

His take-charge attitude supplements his feelings of alienation and keep him from simply being a sympathetic victim of a character. Make no mistake, he is still a hero and an admirable one at that. He knows his enhancements are a gift, and he uses this gift to protect the innocent.

These qualities are what have made Cyborg one of my all-time favorite DC Super Heroes.

And with that, we wrap up this entry. Check back tomorrow for the luminescent Number 4!